Appeal to Stakeholders: January 12, 2007
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) notes with concern the careless and ill-informed statements made by the Leading Opposition Party recently, regarding the implementation of the Value Added Tax (VAT).

This statement is woefully inconsistent with the remarkable level of support and maturity this Party displayed in the events leading up to this implementation stage. Guyanese should be putting all their differences aside, including their political conviction to ensure that the GRA which has been legally charged with the administration of this very important and necessary tax reform measure, is given the best opportunity to succeed in this national endeavour.

As the Head of the GRA, I am indeed troubled by these developments since there were ample opportunities during the Parliamentary debates and discussion which occurred before the passage of the law.

The fact that these issues were not prominent as early as August last year when the opportunities presented themselves for politicizing, indicated acceptance and approval.
VAT did not feature much as an issue and rightly so in any major way in the political campaigning by any of the major political parties contesting the National Elections.

This was indeed a healthy sign, suggesting that our people were indeed cognisant of its sensitive nature and the benefits it promises for all Guyanese.

We feel that this intemperate statements made by the Leader of the Opposition would only serve to endanger the lives of the staff of the GRA. We the pioneers of this noble initiative on behalf of the nation, who have been given the green light to prepare the nation for this major tax initiative from all the political players including the leadership of the Private Sector bodies, are indeed dismayed by these statements.

The statement seems to send a conflicting signal regarding the level of support and co-operation. VAT, being a tax that requires a strong will on the part of all stake holders to hold the strain and to work co-operatively, can only succeed if all stakeholders recognise their respective roles and provide the necessary support that are so critical at this point of transition. 
We make a wholehearted appeal to the leadership of all political parties to educate themselves of the relevant issues affecting the smooth transition. We call on these Parties to weigh all the facts relating to the issues and to exercise good judgment in determining their merit.

If unscrupulous businesses succeed in their campaign to hoodwink the political directorate of this country the ultimate result will be further exploitation and deception of the consuming public which have supported these business over the years. I refuse to believe that the political parties of this country are so gullible.

It must be patently obvious to anyone that the efforts of the GRA in preparing the nation to administer this most fundamental tax reform measure are being threatened from this level of political interference. The millions of taxpayers’ dollars that have been spent in the process are being put at serious risk of being dissipated.

For anyone to embark on this ill-conceived course of action without thinking of these consequences is highly unfortunate.

The staff of GRA span the spectrum of class, race and religion and are most hard working and dedicated. I can attest to from the level of commitment and assiduousness they have displayed in their daily functions.

It is a great disservice to these officers who approach their work with great conviction and professionalism, determined that their efforts eventually will benefit all Guyanese of all ethnic background and political persuasion.

It is for this reason that I find the statements made by the Head of the leading Opposition party, a person for whom I have the greatest respect, so troubling.

The staff of the GRA have provided ample evidence during its campaign to convince the Guyanese nation of the many positive effects of this new tax reform measure including the most cogent being the effect on the cost of living of the ordinary citizens of this country.

Already there are some businesses which are beginning to realize the gains from doing business under the VAT, since in our view the system has been so far effectively implemented in businesses that take nation building seriously. The GRA wishes to commend those businesses for their support in this noble initiative and continue to encourage others to emulate their courage.

VAT will accelerate the progress of this country that was for too long caught up in the stranglehold of unscrupulous business practices of some, in the areas of under invoicing, fraudulent reporting of their taxes and cheating at the highest levels and in all forms to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

I wish to send a timely reminder not only to the leading opposition party but all political parties and all stakeholders that the implementation of VAT is carried out by the GRA and not by any political Party or Parties.  

While I do not in the least suggest that such stakeholders do not have a right to speak out on matters they find objectionable it behooves them at this critical juncture to speak in a rational manner that would serve to encourage and have the desired effect of correcting any perceived or otherwise real weakness in the process.

Guyana is at the cross-roads of undergoing a major change in its social and economic landscape and our actions are being viewed on a daily basis by persons outside of Guyana through the use of information technology and modern communication media.
 
Let us all choose to behave in a manner that would serve to help the nation by helping the GRA to carry out its statutory functions.

No rightly thinking Guyanese would deny that VAT which has worked successfully in more than 120 countries of the world is also capable of working for the Guyanese nation.

We at the GRA stop short of demanding from all the political parties that they should behave more responsible and display exemplary conduct similar to what was displayed by them when the Bill was piloted through the National Assembly, with massive support from the Opposition Parties the Parliament.